JLPT N2 Grammar – Difference between “〜だけに” and “〜だけあって”
Table of Contents
1. Difference between “〜だけに” and “〜だけあって”
2. 〜だけに
3. 〜だけあって
4. 「〜だけに」VS「〜だけあって」
5. のことはある・だけある
6. Summary
7. Quiz
8. Similar Articles
9. Comment
Q: I don’t understand the difference between “〜だけに” and “〜だけあって”
A: Both “〜だけに” and “〜だけあって” mean ‘as befits,’ but there are subtle nuances in their usage.
〜だけに (JLPT N2)
[Meaning]
Since there is reason A, B is appropriate (or suitable) for it
[Rules]
[V] Verb Plain form＋だけに
[A] い adjective＋だけに
[Na] な adjective＋だけに
[N] Noun＋だけに
[Examples]
[V] 山田さんは中国に3年留学していただけに、中国語が上手です。
Mr. Yamada studied in China for three years, which is why his Chinese is so good.
[A] 学生たちは若いだけに、徹夜しても平気なようです。
Students are young, so it seems they are fine even if they stay up all night.
[Na] あのレストランは有名なだけに、いつも混んでいます。
That restaurant is famous, hence it’s always crowded.
[N] あの人はモデルだけに背が高いです。
That person is tall precisely because he is a model.
〜だけあって (JLPT N2)
[Meaning]
Since A has suitable abilities and value, it naturally follows that B
[Rule]
[V] Verb Plain form＋だけあって
[Na] な adjective＋だけあって
[N] Noun＋だけあって
[End of sentence] だけある・だけのことはある
[Examples]
[V] 木村さんは10年以上日本語を教えているだけあって、説明がとてもわかりやすいです。
Mr. Kimura has been teaching Japanese for over 10 years, and it shows in his very clear explanations.
[Na] あのレストランは人気なだけあって、3か月以上予約が取れません。
That restaurant is so popular that it’s booked out for more than three months.
[N] 3つ星ホテルだけあって部屋もサービスも最高でした。
As expected of a three-star hotel, both the rooms and the service were excellent.
[End of sentence] 木村さんはさすが10年日本語を教えているだけあるね。
Indeed, it shows that Mr. Kimura has been teaching Japanese for 10 years.
〜だけに VS 〜だけあって
In the following cases, it is not unnatural to interchange the two.
[Examples]
山田さんは中国に3年留学していただけに、中国語が上手です。
山田さんは中国に3年留学していただけあって、中国語が上手です。
Mr. Yamada studied in China for three years, which is why his Chinese is so good.
Let’s consider the difference between these two.
「AだけにB」
A = Reason or situation
B = Appropriate outcome or inference considered from that reason.
「AだけあってB」
A = Effort, experience, or status
B = Results or characteristics corresponding to A, or the speaker’s admiration (B involves positive language)
In other words, which expression to use depends on the speaker’s judgment.
If the speaker thinks that being ‘studied abroad’ naturally leads to being ‘good at Chinese,’ then they would use ‘AだけにB‘.
However, if the speaker views ‘studying abroad’ as an effort or experience and wishes to express admiration, then they would use ‘ＡだけあってＢ‘.
[〜だけに]
In the following cases, you would use “〜だけに“.
[Examples]
今日は祝日だけに、どこも人が多いね。
Today is a holiday, hence everywhere is crowded.
⇒ Use “〜だけに“ when it does not represent effort or experience.
彼はまだ新人だけに、何度も同じことを聞いてくる。
He is still a newcomer, which is why he keeps asking the same things over and over.
⇒ Use “〜だけに“ when a negative expression follows.
[〜だけあって]
In the following cases, use “〜だけあって” when it represents the speaker’s positive evaluation.
[Example]
3つ星ホテルだけあって部屋もサービスも最高でした。
As expected of a three-star hotel, both the rooms and the service were excellent.
⇒ Given its status as a three-star hotel, it represents the speaker’s positive evaluation.
のことはある・だけある
When ending a sentence in this form, words that express the speaker’s evaluation are not used.
However, simply ending with this phrase implies ‘it’s worth it,’ and it becomes an expression that includes the speaker’s positive feelings.
Moreover, in this case, it is often used with the adverb ‘さすが’ (as expected).
[Examples]
さすが3つ星ホテルのことだけはあるね。
Indeed, there’s something special about this three-star hotel.
木村さんはさすが10年日本語を教えているだけあるね。
Indeed, it shows that Mr. Kimura has been teaching Japanese for 10 years.
Summary
〜だけに
- ‘AだけにB‘ means that A provides the reason or situation, and B is the appropriate outcome or inference derived from that reason.
- It is used when a negative expression follows.
〜だけあって
- ‘AだけあってB‘ indicates that A involves effort, experience, or status, while B represents the results or characteristics corresponding to A, or the speaker’s admiration.
- B uses positive language, often expressing admiration or praise.
- When used at the end of a sentence, it conveys the nuance of ‘it’s worth it,’ representing the speaker’s positive feelings.
Quiz
Read the following sentence and choose the expression that fits the context from the options provided in the parentheses.
Click on the question to check the answer.
A. だけあって
世界で有名な美術館だけあって有名な作品ばかりです。
As you would expect from a world-famous museum, it features only famous works.
*”だけあって” is appropriate because it refers to the prestigious status of a famous museum, implying that it naturally features famous works.
A. だけに
人が多いだけになかなか店に入れなさそうですね。
It’s so crowded that it seems hard to get into the store.
*”だけに” is suitable because it refers to the reason and speculation about why it may be hard to enter the store.
A. だけある
とてもおいしい料理ですね。有名なシェフが作っただけある。
The dish is very delicious. It’s no surprise since it was made by a famous chef.
*”だけある” is correct as it is used at the end of the sentence to indicate that the situation justifies the value or outcome.
A. だけに
祝日なだけに、いつも以上に道が混んでいます。
Since it’s a holiday, the roads are busier than usual.
*”だけに” is used because it communicates a situation, not effort or experience, which is the context it is designed to express.
